New Beginnings RM, SS, LA
by dajjal
Summary: This story starts with Ryan, Marissa, Seth, Summer, Luke, and Anna entering Harbor as freshman and will follow them through their high school years and into their college years and possibly beyond.
1. Prologue and Characters

This is my first attempt at a fanfic, or really a story of any kind. However, I have a lot of ideas and some good autobiographical memories of high school and college that I plan on incorporating into this work. I am starting this story in the summer before their freshman year of high school. After the characterization bits, the story will start with a dance at Harbor High School for the year's freshman and next year's incoming freshman.

Ryan: Ryan has not yet gone to live with the Cohens. He is currently living with his deadbeat family in Chino, but unlike most of the Chino population, he has not yet lost his dreams of the future. If anything, his dreams have been renewed because of the news he has just received. Ryan was an exemplary student at Chino Hills Academy and had scored in the 99th percentile of regent exams. He was also an extraordinary athlete, playing both basketball and soccer while maintaining his grades. It was his well rounded aptitude that drew his coach to recommend his name to the coaches at Harbor, not knowing that the principal had been in contact with Harbor's dean as well. Ryan was exactly the type of student that Harbor was looking for for their newly endowed Caleb Nichol scholarship fund (Cal got in legal troubles, to save his image Sandy convinces him to fund a scholarship for extraordinary, yet underprivileged children). With this scholarship, Ryan has a free ride to Orange County's most prestigious secondary school. While he is thrilled about this news, A.J., his mother's alcoholic boyfriend has not taken it so well and barely hides his jealousy and contempt of the fourteen year old that has been given a chance at a future.

Seth: Seth is the only child of Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. Seth is an outsider, much of his own volition as the other students since he never really understood the materialistic nature of the adolescent social scene. He is an avid surfer, something he picked up from his father and a hack golfer, again only to serve as a bond between father and son. Seth is not a traditional athlete, but has been unable to withstand the siren song of the ocean. Besides the irreplaceable Cap'n Oats and beloved PS2, his most prized possession is the Summer Breeze, his 16 foot Hobie catamaran. Because of his love of the water, Seth has developed interest in Harbor's crew (rowing) team, hoping this will give him a life beyond video games and a plastic horse.

Luke: Luke is the proverbial 'golden boy,' yet he feels a strange discomfort with his role. Throughout middle school, he did every athletic venture he could. He was an outstanding swimmer, as well as the star of the basketball and soccer teams. While never having golfed competitively, he is a scratch golfer who uses the golf course as his escape, just as Seth does by surfing or sailing the ocean's waves. Luke is looking forward to entering a new phase of his life at Harbor, one where he can be himself rather than the person everyone else wants him to be. Because of this desire, he knows he will not look to play basketball or swim competitively, and is as yet still undecided on soccer. He does plan on looking at some of the other, more team-oriented sports that Harbor has to offer in order to maintain his athletic prowess. Luke's new persona will be somewhat of a surprise to the majority of the people in his life, which will surely stir up some drama.

Marissa: Still the beautiful, willowy sandy blonde, yet naively she does not think of herself as anything special. Rather, Marissa has grown up with an inferiority complex thanks to the pressures of her parents and Newport society. While not the 'queen bee' she certainly is a member of the more elite social circles, where she does not feel entirely at home. She knows she wants something more fulfilling out of her life than becoming another Newpsie, but she is lost how to get there. She is planning on getting extremely involved in activities at Harbor in order to meet new friends and look for answers to her life questions.

Summer: Summer is the epitome of a high-class rich bitch and she knows it. Since her mother ran off when she was ten, her father has tried to make up for this lack of parenting skills the only way he knows how, by spoiling her and giving her anything she wants. However, this strong overbearing persona of the spoiled brat is only a façade that Summer uses to make her insecurities and fears. Marissa, her best friend since kindergarten is the only one who really knows the Summer that is hidden from the rest of the world. Summer has no real aspirations for high school beyond making sure she and Marissa stay close. She is torn between continuing to live the party girl life or to begin to address the identity crisis brewing inside her.

Anna: Anna does not fit the mold of Orange County in the slightest. She was born and raised on the east coast, in the small city of Erie, PA (I know it's Pittsburgh on the show, but I am from Erie, so I gotta put it in there.) She moved to Newport with her parents when they retired early looking for sun and a more posh arena to spend their money. Her family has maintained a house on the shore of Lake Erie for her future, but they have no plan of moving back east themselves. Her parents were rather attentive to her wants and needs while back east, however with the move to Newport, they have focused solely on their own lives and largely left their daughter to her own devices.

Sandy and Kirsten: Sandy is a top notch defense lawyer with his own practice (I loved the beach side office… so I'm bringing it back), but he has not forgotten his roots as a public defender. He does a lot of pro bono work for clients in need and still takes on cases for the PD's office when they get overloaded. With Caleb's legal troubles, Kirsten has risen to the position of CEO within the Newport Group. Caleb however, has not completely left the business and remains a highly priced consultant to the company.

A/N: There will be other characters who will play secondary roles in the story, but I haven't completely fleshed out how important they will be. I will do my best to develop these characters in the story arcs in which they are present. You can certainly expect to see some teenagers to fill out the social scene of the core six as well as the parental figures of the six. Jimmy and Julie will have an impact of course, but it as yet undetermined how this will play out.


	2. Preparation

Chapter One: Preparation

_This chapter centers on the preparations of the six teenagers for the upcoming dance. Like any Newport event, the dance is dressy, at the very least semi-formal. All six are excited at the prospect of leaving their old lives behind and moving forward toward a brighter future. _

**Ryan**

Ryan can't help but smile every time his eyes graze across the Harbor School envelope sitting on his bed. The knowledge of the opportunity for a better future almost makes the physical abuse of A.J. and the emotional abuse of his mother tolerable. He is filled with nervous energy about the evening's upcoming dance at his new school, his entry into his new future. Despite knowing the futility inherent in the very gesture, he decides to go downstairs and talk to his mother hoping to receive her support and possibly some financial means to get to the dance. As Ryan, freshly showered and dressed in one of his father's threadbare suits left behind when he was arrested, descends the stairs he can hear the door slam as A.J. enters the house.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?" A.J. enters screaming at Dawn, Ryan's mother. "You were supposed to come pick me up an hour ago at the factory!" Dawn looks up from her position at the kitchen table, slouched over the dusty remains of her habitual drug use, but doesn't say anything in response. This causes A.J. to look for another outlet for his anger; unfortunately just at the time that Ryan comes off the stairs and into the living room. He sees the glowering look of anger on A.J.'s face and knows what is coming, but he can't get away fast enough.

"This is all your fault, you worthless sack of shit!" A.J. bellows as he lumbers toward Ryan. "If it wasn't for you trying to be better than your family, she wouldn't be the depressed and ungrateful bitch she is now. Don't think I will let you escape to a better life while the rest of us have to suffer in this hellhole. You don't deserve a chance any more than the rest of us do." By this point A.J. is yelling at the top of his lungs, his face red in anger and the veins on his forehead bulging from the increased blood pressure. As Ryan attempts to sidestep him, A.J. grabs the back of his suit jacket and throws him into the couch. Ryan immediately tries to get up, but is cold cocked by A.J. who hits him in his right eye. He immediately sees stars and blackness creeping around the edges of his vision, but shakes it off.

"I have to get out of here, I have to be there tonight" runs through Ryan's mind. Normally he would have given up and accepted the beating, but the knowledge of a new world tonight is too tantalizing. As A.J. rears back for another blow, Ryan dives off the couch and throws the whole weight of his body into A.J., knocking him over. A.J. falls and a sickening crunch is heard as his head impacts the coffee table. However, Ryan doesn't look back as he runs out the door to his bike and pedals away, toward Newport, impervious to the blood dripping off face and staining his only dress shirt.

**Seth**

Like Ryan, Seth is already dressed and nervously awaiting the evening's festivities. He is laying sprawled on his bed, arms and legs akimbo with the good captain perched upon his chest. With a heartfelt sigh, Seth opens his eyes and stares at the plastic horse as if looking for an answer to life's questions.

"Well Oats, this is it, the first day of the rest of my life. Am I ready for this, maybe I should sneak a comic book into my jacket pocket so I'll have a backup plan when none of the girls there will talk to me. They just aren't ready for the Cohen charm yet are they buddy. They will be too stunned to know what hit them… yeah, I have a feeling a comic book is gonna be a necessity tonight…" Seth's ramble trails off as he hears a soft chuckling coming from the doorway to his room. He shoots up into a sitting position and stares at his father who is standing there laughing at him.

"How long have you been standing there dad? You know I wasn't talking to myself, me and Oats here were having a good discussion of how to use my groove to pick up the ladies tonight. You know Summer, that beautiful buxom brunette will be there, maybe I'll take Oats along with me as my wingman. Yeah… that's really healthy isn't it? First impression in high school as the kid who carries around a plastic horse, albeit his best friend, but still…" Seth picks up right where he had left off before Sandy stops him short. "Enough Seth, don't worry about tonight. You still have another month to go before school starts. Whoever you meet there tonight will be just as nervous as you and probably won't remember your name come September anyhow." "Thanks dad, that is real comforting, you think I won't make an impression on anyone there so they won't remember me. Being eminently forgettable may be even worse than being the social outcast. Such a happy future you have prescribed for me, I just can't wait." Seth snappily retorts, flopping back down onto his bed.

Sandy smacks Seth's leg as he leaves the room, "Alright, time to go. Your mother wants to get a couple pictures in before we head out. I'll be in the car waiting for you once you get past your mom with the camera." He smirks and heads for the stairs. Seth stands up and looks around before stuffing Cap'n Oats into the interior pocket of jacket and the new Legion comic into the back pocket of his pants. "Lets do this" he mutters to himself as he walks out the door of his room toward his first night as a high school student.

**Luke**

Similar to the other boys, Luke is anxious for the evening to begin. He is standing on the balcony of his parent's mansion looking out over the pool and his hands maintain a white-knuckle grip on the railing in front of them. He is dressed more casually than both Ryan and Seth, preferring to go with khakis and a blue oxford, collar unbuttoned, and a simple navy blazer. He can hear his father calling his name as he searches the house looking for him, yet Luke shows no sign of movement.

After a couple of minutes, his father spots him through the sliding doors and comes out to the balcony to join him. "Hey son, ready to sweep those ladies off their feet this evening? You know they won't be able to resist a stud jock like you. Show them what the Ward name is made of." Luke shrugs and simply mutters "Yeah, sure dad" before his father goes on without even hearing the defeated tone of his son's voice. "I hear that Greg Fischer's daughter is gorgeous. You couldn't go wrong with a catch like that you know. Remember, you've got to do your family proud. It wouldn't look good for a Ward to be seen with any common girl."

At this, Luke turns around and his eyes are blazing with pent up anger and frustration. He knows he doesn't want to become the chauvinist, image oriented man his father is, but he isn't ready to have that discussion yet. He looks down at his feet and says "We should be going, I gotta get there before all the honeys are taken ya know" before brushing past his father and heading to the car. Carson, his father, having not noticed the look on his son's face or the latent sarcasm in his words, turns and follows him, grinning from ear to ear all the while.

**Marissa and Summer**

Since her father has poured his life into his career since her mother fled, Summer has spent most of her formative years at the Cooper household. The night of the welcome dance is no different. Rather than spend the night getting ready alone, Summer has packed up her makeup and a selection of dresses and walked the few blocks separating the houses of the two girls.

As Summer stumbles up to the door of the Cooper house, her arms laden with dresses and shoes, Julie Cooper comes barreling out and runs smack into her, causing her to drop everything she was holding. Julie huffs and scowls at Summer for getting in her way. "You know those shoes are cute" she says pointing at one of the pairs that Summer dropped on the pathway, "I think they would look great with Marissa's long legs." Julie then turns on her heel and walks away leaving Summer searching for a comment. "Only Julie Cooper can give and take away with the same comment" Summer mutters as she walks in the door.

Marissa turns and looks at Summer as she walks into her room. Seeing the frown gracing her face, she asks "So the dragon-lady struck again?" Summer just smiles, Marissa's hatred of her mother making her feel better. "So Coop, we gotta look hot tonight. All kinds of new boys to meet and you know first impressions mean everything." "Sum you know I'm not looking to just snag a rich boy. The last thing I want to be is a miniature version of my mother, just after the first mark I see with a trust fund. I'm just looking forward to making some friends tonight" Marissa says as she finishes her hair and makeup.

"Alright Coop. No boy drama tonight, its all about us girls and starting anew." Summer says as she picks up her purse, hoping Marissa doesn't notice that her fingers are crossed and the mischievous glint in her eyes. The girls check themselves one last time in the vanity mirror and make some minor adjustments. Before they leave they turn to compliment each other.

"Oh my god Sum, that dress is perfect for you" Marissa squeaks commenting on Summer's low cut halter dress. "I know Coop, but there is no way that I could ever look as elegant as you." Summer replies as she looks over Marissa's lithe form in a Dolce and Gabana strapless, floor length gown. The two girls smile at each other, thinking how jealous they are of the other's beauty, before they head out the door, having no idea what the night has in store for them.

**Anna**

Anna is preparing for the evening all by herself. Her father is out at the country club, drinking with his golfing buddies following their second eighteen hole round of the day, while her mother is away on a spa weekend with some of her newfound Newpsie friends. As Anna returns to her room, she spots the garment bag that one of the maids had placed on her bed.

"Mom must have asked them to find something for me to wear for the evening. I don't need someone to be my personal shopper for me though. Besides if its anything my mother picked out, I doubt I will want to wear it anyhow." She says out loud to herself as she unzips the bag. Much to her surprise, the dress she finds inside is gorgeous. It's a champagne colored sheath dress that went perfectly with her favorite pair of chandelier earrings. Anna couldn't help but smile as she got ready for the dance.

Once she was ready, she went downstairs to find a limo waiting for her, another surprise of her mother's. Apparently her mother felt more guilty than she thought she did about not being there for her daughter. Either that or she figured that they had so much money, extravagance could become a facet of daily life.

Anna found the inside of the limo stocked with snacks and beverages, enough to feed a couple dozen people. She thought to herself "well I guess I will have to make some friends tonight, so all of this doesn't go to waste." Anna had made sure to leave the compartment divider down so she could talk to the driver. This way she wouldn't feel totally lonely cooped up in the back by herself. She smiled as she saw the driver's eyes looking at her in the rearview mirror. "To the Harbor School, please" she said with a lilt in her voice and a sparkle in her eye that hadn't been there since the move.


End file.
